What Is a Sponsored Project?
A Sponsored Project is an externally funded financial award governed by specific terms and conditions established in a written agreement between the sponsor and UNO. Sponsored Project activities may include research, instruction and training, evaluative testing, and other scholarly and creative activities. They can be supported by a number of different sponsors, such as federal agencies, state agencies, local government, corporate or industry, or non-profit organizations.
The characteristics of a sponsored project may include, but not limited to:
- Authorized official signature binding the University to the terms and conditions
- Use of institutional resources, i.e. faculty time, equipment, space, students
- Defined scope of work
- Specific deliverables
- Sponsor approval required for significant programmatic and/or fiscal deviations
- Identified period of performance
- Detailed programmatic and/or fiscal reporting
- Return of unused funds
- Payment is contingent upon programmatic accomplishments or detailed fiscal reporting
- Intellectual property, patent, and publication and/or data rights
- Regulatory compliance oversight, i.e. IRB, IACUC, IBC
What is Not a Sponsored Project?
Some types of activities are not sponsored projects and do not require proposals to be submitted via NuRamp OSP Module. Some examples include gifts, donations, internal seed funding.
Sponsored projects differ from gifts and donations. Gifts are bestowed voluntarily and without expectation of any specific deliverable or outcome. While certain private grants may be considered gifts, these differ from sponsored projects in that the level of accountability imposed by the donor in the use of the gift is limited and usually does not require extensive technical or fiscal reporting.
Sponsored projects are generally awarded in response to a specific proposal, statement of work, detailed budget, and are subject to financial reporting and audit. If the sponsor expects to receive a detailed accounting or has imposed limits on UNO’s use of the funds, then it’s likely the project is a sponsored project and not a gift.
In some instances, it can be challenging to distinguish between gifts and sponsored projects. If you need assistance with this determination, please contact your OSP Grants Coordinator or unosponpro@unomaha.edu.
Activity Types of Sponsored Projects
Sponsored Projects are classified into different categories of University functions, impacting the calculation of UNO's Facilities and Administrative (F&A) Rate. Definitions derived from Uniform Guidance (2 CFR Appendix III Part 200).
Instruction
Instruction means the teaching and training activities of an institution. Except for research training (which falls under the Organized Research definition), this term includes all teaching and training activities, whether they are offered for credits toward a degree or certification or on a noncredit basis, and whether they are offered through regular academic departments or separate divisions, such as a summer school division or an extension division.
Organized Research
Organized research means all research and development activities of an institution that are separately budgeted and accounted for. Research and development means all research activities, both basic and applied, and all development activities that are supported at universities, colleges, and other non-profit institutions.
Other Sponsored Activities
Other Sponsored Activities mean programs and projects financed by Federal and non-Federal agencies and organizations which involve the performance of work other than instruction and organized research. Examples of such programs and projects are health service projects, community service programs, and workshops or conferences.